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Psychiatric effects of drugs for other disorders

Lookup NU author(s): Emeritus Professor Heather Ashton

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Abstract

Many drugs used therapeutically for non-psychiatric disorders can cause neuropsychiatric reactions. A wide range of such effects are reported including sedation, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, mania, psychosis, cognitive disturbance and delirium. The reactions are usually dose-related but may occur at therapeutic doses or on drug withdrawal after chronic use. They are more common in elderly or ill patients or those with a psychiatric history and may be unpredictable or paradoxical. Some of the more common psychiatric effects of drugs used for non-psychiatric disorders are reviewed briefly here. They include, among others, dopaminergic and antimuscarinic drugs for parkinsonism; digitalis and β-adrenoceptor antagonists for cardiovascular disorders; cannabinoid receptor antagonists for obesity; corticosteroids for endocrine disorders, asthma and allergic conditions; and anti-infective drugs for bacterial, parastic and viral infections. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Ashton CH

Publication type: Review

Publication status: Published

Journal: Medicine

Year: 2008

Volume: 36

Issue: 9

Pages: 501-504

Print publication date: 01/09/2008

ISSN (print): 1357-3039

ISSN (electronic): 1578-8822

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mpmed.2008.06.002

DOI: 10.1016/j.mpmed.2008.06.002

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